Google Is Using AI to Cut Its Power Bill

Google's DeepMind has reduced its power consumption thanks to artificial intelligence

Google is using the firm's artificial intelligence system to control parts of its data centers, DeepMind cofounder Demis Hassabis told Bloomberg on Tuesday. DeepMind, which Google acquired in 2014, is using its AI engine to change how data center servers and cooling systems work to reduce power consumption.

The company didn't say how much it's saving Google. Hassabis tipped a 15 percent improvement in power efficiency since Google launched the program this year, which he said is a "huge savings in terms of cost."

The average electricity price in the U.S. can range from $25 to $40 per megawatt hour, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. At a 15 percent savings, it's possible Google, which operates massive data centers, is recouping millions in energy costs simply by relying upon DeepMind.

Hassabis said Google was "astounded" by what his company's technology could do, and has been surprised by how many "variables" in data centers it could address.

"It controls about 120 variables in the data centers. The fans and the cooling systems and so on, and windows and other things," Hassabis said. "They were pretty astounded."